Conservative won big in Overland Park mayoral primary. Can his message work Nov. 2?

Longtime City Councilman Curt Skoog is campaigning as a candidate unaffiliated with partisan politics, keeping true to what he calls “the tradition of Overland Park mayoral races.”

But his opponent, political newcomer Mike Czinege, entered the field with little name recognition and is running on the clear message that he is the conservative Republican in the race. His “tough on crime” platform, even in a community where crime is relatively low, resonated during the August primary, when he was the top vote-getter among four candidates.

And while Skoog is pushing for a more diverse housing stock to make the city attainable for young workers, families and empty nesters, Czinege is fighting against the proliferation of apartment complexes.

Some wonder whether Czinege’s position as the conservative in the race will benefit him again on Nov. 2, when turnout is expected to be higher than in the primary, and in a city that has shifted more blue in partisan elections. Czinege won 38.3% of the vote in the primary, followed by Skoog, with 23.4%.

Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach is retiring after serving in the role for 16 years. He is among a handful of mayors who are stepping down this election year in Johnson County cities — including Mission, Merriam and Gardner — but the political nature of this race in the county’s largest city makes it among the most noteworthy.

Skoog, who changed his registration from Republican to independent before entering the nonpartisan race, has criticized Czinege for campaigning on a “negative message about going back to the 1990s,” or even the 1960s.

“My opponent’s primary focus is on developing single family neighborhoods for the same tax bracket and only funding essential city services,” Skoog said. “A city as dynamic and thriving as Overland Park should be looking at emerging trends to plan a city that future generations will want to live in. That means different housing options, smarter infrastructure, and unique amenities to attract young people.”

Czinege said he simply has “the desire to preserve the suburban quality of life that residents chose when they invested in their homes, while continuing to grow the community in a managed way in sync with the residents wishes.”

And he has in turn taken jabs at Skoog, saying he is too closely tied to the development community, and that city leaders have overused tax incentives granted to private developers.

“Overland Park is a great place to live, but there are leading indicators that point to troubles ahead: rising crime, indiscriminate land rezoning, over-development of apartment buildings, unnecessary tax subsidies to developers, and significant infrastructure/road neglect,” Czinege said. “I want to address these issues and preserve the suburban lifestyle and quality of life that residents have invested in when they moved to Overland Park and purchased their home.”

Skoog has previously argued that Czinege’s message on crime can cross into fearmongering. It is true that crime rates have been slowly rising as the population has grown, and crime in 2020, including property crime, was its highest in the past five years. But Overland Park has a much lower crime rate than Wichita, Topeka and other large cities in the state.

He also has criticized Czinege’s messaging on COVID-19, including false claims he has made about the vaccine. Czinege recently said in a debate, “Why should I have to risk my life to take a vaccine?”

“As an elected official, it’s my duty to responsibly communicate accurate information to the public. I believe that should extend to candidates for office as well,” Skoog said. ”If elected, Mike’s medical misinformation would undercut the work of the Johnson County health department and present a threat to public health.“

“I’ve been listening to and solving problems for the people of Overland Park for 16 years,” Skoog said. “My agenda is set by residents, not partisan ideology.”

Overland Park residents can vote early, in person at eight locations. On Nov. 2, polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Find out more at jocoelection.org.

Meet the candidates

Skoog, 58, has served on the City Council for 16 years and is now council president. He has lived in Overland Park for 25 years and works as the Kansas City branch manager for the Institute for Building Technology and Safety.

In his run for mayor, he has received endorsements from: Gerlach, former mayor and Johnson County Board of Commissioners Chairman Ed Eilert, former police chief John Douglass, as well as several current and former council members.

Ahead of the primary election, Skoog earned more than $50,000 in contributions, including from Gerlach and Eilert. In addition to current and former elected officials, Skoog has received many donations from attorneys, developers and real estate brokers in Overland Park, including EPC Real Estate Group, Block Real Estate and HNTB Holdings.

Czinege (ZIN-eh-gee), 68, is a retired AMC Theatres executive, who is running for office for the first time. His experience includes serving as senior vice president for both AMC and Applebee’s, and as a partner with Ernst & Young and United Research/Gemini Consulting.

He has been endorsed by: Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden, former Johnson County Sheriff Frank Denning, former state Sen. Jim Denning, state Sen. Molly Baumgardner, former Kansas Speaker Ray Merrick, former Gov. Jeff Colyer, and Kansans for Life, which pushes for anti-abortion legislation.

In a tweet, Colyer said, “Mike is an outsider who will protect our freedoms from radical liberal power-grabs.”

Czinege raised more than $45,000 in contributions ahead of the primary, including from residents and business executives, some of whom have ties to AMC and other corporations, as well as Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara. He has criticized Skoog for the number of donations he has received from real estate attorneys and developers, arguing that it shows a conflict of interest.

Development

Perhaps the greatest challenge ahead for Overland Park’s next mayor is guiding the city’s growth.

The city has added 23,866 residents, population growth of about 13%, over the past decade. But managing that growth is increasingly complicated as the city is largely developed and has little vacant space left for expansion.

Skoog has argued that he is the forward-looking candidate, focused on making Overland Park attractive to people of all ages. That means, he said, pursuing the right balance of commercial and residential development, as well as a wider range of housing options — in some areas, higher density housing, which would bolster the city’s tax base.

“We must keep looking ahead, not turning back or we will stagnate. We need to be positioning our city for the future so our young people will be able to stay here,” he said.

He said the city must address its need for more affordable housing options, improve infrastructure and make the city more walkable with trails and bike paths, plus attract “good paying jobs so our young people have more opportunities to live, work and raise a family in Overland Park.”

Czinege criticizes how elected officials have developed the city in recent years, arguing that Overland Park should return to its roots and maintain a suburban feel, free of a proliferation of high-rise apartment buildings and congestion near single-family homes.

“Growth must be paced with infrastructure to maintain our quality of life into the future and to ensure a unified Overland Park community. That doesn’t mean no growth, or growth at a snail’s pace. It does mean that as our city grows, proper investment in critical infrastructure and services must be made in concert with that growth,” Czinege said.

He said that “current city leadership has for two decades pursued a ‘growth at all costs’ agenda,” which has led to “spot-zoning in existing areas, while zoning huge commercial and high density apartment developments at the far reaches of our city borders. The result has been congestion, strained public safety and overburdened infrastructure.”

“It has also resulted in a divided city, setting up a north-south competition for resources and amenities.”

Czinege has been highly critical of the City Council’s use of tax incentives for private development, saying that they have been overused in areas that would develop without city subsidies. He argued that incentives should be used as a last option, such as to remediate blight or attract a highly competitive company that will bring jobs to the city.

He pointed to some projects that he argued were not deserving of incentives, such as Prairiefire, which has largely failed to meet expectations or keep up with payments. And he disagrees with the $200 million tax incentive package granted for the redevelopment of the Brookridge Golf Course.

Skoog has said that he only votes in favor of such subsidies when he feels the benefit to the city outweighs the developer, and when the project fits Overland Park’s plans for future growth.

He said questions he considers when voting on tax incentives include: Will the project fit with and strengthen the nearby neighborhoods? Does the project offer something unique and exciting for residents? And can the project be built without offering incentives?

He said that incentives he supported have helped develop the downtown and bring unique amenities to the area, such as Strang Hall, a food hall aimed at helping new restaurants get off the ground. He said incentives also have helped remediate blighted areas, such as to revitalize two abandoned hotels at Shawnee Mission Parkway and Metcalf Avenue.

“I voted against several Community Improvement Districts at 91st and Metcalf and 127th and Nall. The projects would have brought more retail, an area where the city is already overdeveloped, and I did not feel it warranted the use of taxpayer money. I also voted against incentives for a project at Metcalf South that did not fit the priorities laid out by residents,” Skoog said.

Housing

A major campaign theme for Czinege has been dialing back the development of apartment buildings in many neighborhoods throughout the city, arguing that the highest demand is for single-family homes.

“Right now there is a tremendous imbalance in our housing stock, as city leadership has artificially incentivized over-saturation of high density apartments,” he said.

Overland Park has seen a boom in apartment complex development in recent years, often renting at a luxury price point. Many residents have pleaded with city leaders to find solutions to bring more affordable options to the city, as several young families and retirees struggle to afford mortgages or rent.

“High-rise apartment complexes and high density are desirable in appropriate places, like downtown areas that have an urban character. They are not appropriate next to residential neighborhoods,” Czinege said. “I am in favor of continued apartment development in areas where it is already zoned and planned. I am not in favor of reckless rezoning of open spaces to build high rise apartments that will overcrowd schools, snarl traffic, or create more runoff and flooding.”

Skoog countered that the key is housing diversity. He agrees that there is demand for single-family homes, especially as Johnson County’s housing market remains fiercely competitive, and said that type of development continues “at a brisk pace.” But he said there also is a need for a range of housing options, for new families, young workers and retirees, many of whom feel they are being priced out of the city.

“These groups are moving out of single family homes to get away from home maintenance or are not yet ready to purchase a home. One of my key efforts is to create more home purchase options. This would include townhomes, condos and cottage court style projects,” Skoog said. “Looking to the future, businesses and the young people they employ are looking for dynamic cities with different housing options and shorter commutes to work. While single family neighborhoods will remain the heart of our community, we should be looking at what kind of cities our children and grandchildren will want to live in.”

Skoog addressed the question of how to attract more affordable housing the most directly.

“Beginning next year, the city will begin a review of our development ordinances in order to allow alternative styles of residential development as well as more infill residential development. This public process will include extensive resident and industry discussion on potential changes,” he said.

Overland Park, like many cities across the region and country, has zoning codes that largely prohibit the construction of duplexes, cottage communities and homes with shared driveways — essentially anything other than big houses and big apartment complexes, housing experts have said. The city has engaged with the Incremental Development Alliance to look at the barriers to building affordable housing.

Developers call these types of projects the “missing middle” — homes that could be an alternative for workers struggling to afford rent or a mortgage. And experts have recommended the city change its code to allow for a larger variety of housing.

Police

Overland Park’s new mayor will take office at a critical time for the police department, which is expanding its mental health team to more than one dozen members.

In September, the Overland Park City Council voted 9-1 to approve the new annual budget, raising property taxes to create the behavioral health unit, which is also funded by a nearly $250,000 grant from the Department of Justice.

The changes come after work done by the city’s mental health task force, and after years of calls for more transparency in the department — partly in response to the 2018 shooting death of 17-year-old John Albers by former officer Clayton Jenison.

Police went to the Albers residence on a welfare check after 911 calls said the teen was having a mental health crisis and trying to harm himself. Jenison fired 13 shots at the teen, who died at the scene.

Many have argued that Gerlach and city officials were not forthcoming and at times misleading with information about the investigation into the shooting. Following public pressure, lawsuits — including one from The Star — and an FBI investigation, the city eventually released a 500-page report on the investigation earlier this year.

“I was proud to support the recommendation of the Mental Health Task Force in adding 11 positions to the Overland Park Police department to staff the new behavioral health unit,” Skoog said. “This unit will be made up of specially trained police officers and mental health professionals. Overland Park residents will see great benefit from the proactive approach to mental health issues in our community.”

Skoog said as mayor, he would make it a priority to monitor the progress of the new behavioral health unit.

“The police chief will be providing regular reports on its staffing and activities,” he said. “This step was not taken lightly. The department has been slowly increasing its mental health co-responders over the last few years. With each step I have received updates on their success. So we are not starting from scratch. We are building on years of learning in the field.”

Czinege said he is “strongly in favor” of the new unit, as well as additional officers added to the police department.

“I recommend that we work collaboratively with other local municipalities and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department to organize the mental health unit in the most effective way possible, and provide round the clock coverage to the city,” he said. “I also recommend that we study other municipalities to find best practices that we can incorporate into our plan. All aspects of city government need to be transparent and accountable, including the police department.”

He said the city was not “transparent during budget discussions with residents, nor in its handling of the John Albers shooting. Transparency needs to start with City Council to set an example for the rest of the city and its departments.”